A small conversation at KAUSHAMBI

Recently on a short trip to Allahabad, I went to see the ruins of Kaushambi which is about 60 kms away from the city.

ASHOKA'S PILLAR.

The ruins are of Ashoka's time dating to around 300 BC. Buddha had visited the place around 600 BC.

At the ruins there were about five young boys grazing their goats. 

One of the boys started talking with me and said, "These are very old ruins".

 I asked, "How old are they?" 

He said "Oh they are very very old, about 500 years old". 

I said "No they are actually 2400 years old." 

He said "Oh"! 

I said "Next time a visitor comes then  tell them these are 2400 years old".  

He said "Ok, I can only tell what I know"

Then he asked me, "Where have you come from?" 

I said "From Allahabad," 

He said "Oh illahabad." 

I said "Yes". 

Then he said, "Accha, phir toh dehati he ho"

I was taken aback, but then it took  me a couple of seconds to understand that what he meant was that I was one of them only. It was a rare feeling that I experienced, a sense of comraderie, belonging and affection.

This entire conversation was of course in Hindi with the beautiful accent that people of that area have.

If you have watched "Shatranj ke khiladi" then please recall the accent of the young boy serving the Nawabs when they go to the village to continue with their game of chess when the British troops invade Lucknow. That was the accent and the beautiful Hindi that the boy spoke with me in.

This conversation left a deep imprint on  my mind. So much that I thought I would share it with you.

CAN YOU SEE THE BEAUTIFUL BIRD?

"Hand me down" meaningful stories

Let me share a hand me down story of a conversation between two hard of hearing friends.

There were two friends chatting over breakfast.

The first one said, " Hi, are you going to the market today?"

The second friend said,"No, no I was actually going to the market today."

First one replied," Oh! I thought you were going to the market today."

End of first story.

Second hand me down story:-

Everyday a Good Samaritan would pass the fish market on his way to work and also on his way back.

Everyday he would  see an old lady sitting with a basket of fish busily haggling over the price of the fish. On some days the fish were sold, on some days a lot remained unsold.

One day the Good Samaritan taking pity on her, thought that he would buy her entire stock at whatever price she quoted.

" Mai,  I see you trying to sell your fish daily. I can help you by buying your entire lot at whatever price you want as I have a friend who is a big fish monger in the city. Please tell me what price you want."

The old lady thought for some time and then said, " Child, this arrangement will not suit me. If I sell the fish to you in the morning what will I do with the rest of my day ? Now I spend my time talking with those who come to buy my fish. They share some time with me, talk about their work or family. They ask about my health, and sometimes even  ask for recipes. If you buy all my fish, I will not have these conversations and friends."

End of second story.

Moral of the story

I do believe conversations are very important.
Whether they are understood, misunderstood, meaningful or simply time pass, conversations  are interactions between human beings who have the great gift of language, speech, and empathy.

Dear friends who are reading this, "Please revive the art of talking, conversing, chatting, fighting!"

STORM OVER A CUP OF TEA

VARSHA'S STORY
It was one of those rare days when I had to make lunch. I thought I would also get TNN  involved a bit in the kitchen, so I asked him to make a cup of tea for me.
Let me make it very clear right now, that my tea is one of the easiest to make. Just boil a cup of water in the electric kettle, get a cup, put my favourite tea bag in it, add the boiling water and voila my cup of tea is ready.
I never knew getting that simple cup would end up in an adventure and exploration rigmarole.
TNN started heating the water and then asked,"Which cup do you want, Large or medium?"
I said, " Medium"
TNN," None of the medium ones are around."
I said,"Ok, get one from the Dining Room cupboard."

TNN quickly brought around a mug which was a decorative one which I don't use, as it has a lovely Grand mother's slogan on it.

"This one?" he asked.
I said,"No, go to the cup board with regular cups in the Dining Room"
TNN went and got a regular cup, "Is this one OK?"

"Yes, that one is just fine,"said I.
Not withstanding what I had just said, TNN went back to the Dining Room again and dug deeper and came out with another cup.
" How about this one?" he asked. This was the third cup that was being offered.

By this time I had lost all my desire to have tea, and was wondering why on earth did I add to my own woes.
Yet I said patiently, " I had said that the earlier cup was Ok, so why are you going on an exploration?"
TNN said,"But the one that you said yes to, is actually  small, it only looks big, YOU can't make out"

That was the end of my patience and all desire to have tea and I vowed to myself,"Never again will I ask  TNN to get involved with the kitchen."
Later wisdom dawned on me.
That was the intention, "NEVER ASK ME TO MAKE TEA"
Lesson learnt.

TNN'S STORY
Yesterday, Varsha asked me to make a cup of tea for her.
It wasn't a big deal, it was just a simple cup of tea, she didn't actually ask for the moon!
Yet, I was a bit confused, what was the catch, after all she was already in the kitchen?
Never mind, I thought to myself, I shall make a lovely cup of tea for Her Majesty.
As I put the water in the kettle for boiling, I found that Varsha's favourite cup was no where around.
I asked her which cup could I use.
Varsha said,"Get one from the Dining Room cupboard."
When I went to the Dining Room, I found that there were two cup boards. The "Yaksha Prashna" or "Gordon's knot" in front of me was which Cupboard?
I took a chance and picked up a beautiful blue cup with a lovely slogan and took it to Varsha. She didn't want that cup and said that I should try the other cup board and find a regular cup.
I found a regular cup and asked Varsha,"Is this one OK?"
She said,"Yes, that one is just fine,"
But then my desire was to get her the perfect cup and I knew that this cup would be a compromise,  so I searched high and low and found a cup closer to the size that Varsha likes.
When I took the third alternative to Varsha and asked her about it, I got a patient," I had said that the earlier cup was Ok, so why are you going on an exploration?"

Although it was said very patiently, I knew that my situation was not  all that hunky dory, as I could smell some smoke in the background. Honestly, my imagination was not running wild!
I said,"But the one that you said yes to, is actually  small, it only looks big, YOU can't make out"

I am still wondering why Varsha refused to have the cup of tea that I wanted to make for her.
I tell you, these women! You can never please them!